Vincent Prieto

Cuban-American politician of the Democratic Party who has served as the 170th Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly since January 14, 2014. He presides over the New Jersey legislative assembly. He has worked in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2004, where he represents the 32nd Legislative District. He is the head of the Democratic Organization of Hudson County. In 2013, the Hudson Reporter newspaper ranked him 7th among the 50 most influential people in Hudson County. Vincent has gained the support of his colleagues and became Speaker of the Assembly in November 2013.

Prieto serves as Chairman of the Budget Committee and is a member of the Budget Oversight Committee. He is also a member of the Appropriations Committee. He has also served on the Transportation Committee.

He was born in Cuba and arrived in New Jersey at age ten with his mother Inés, who worked in tobacco selection. In 1971, together with his mother, he took one of the Freedom Flights and moved from Cuba to northern Hudson County, at a time when it was known as Hudson's Havana. He lived in Union City where his grandmother and an uncle lived.
Prieto worked on the Secaucus Planning Board from 1998-2001.

He had never been interested in politics until he was asked to represent the 32nd district, composed of several counties with large Latino populations. "I was working in local government (as a building inspector) for several years and they asked me if I was interested. I had never sought politics. Basically politics came looking for me." In December 2004, he was elected by the leaders of the Hudson County Democratic Party to fill the vacancy left by Anthony Impreveduto, who had requested to step down after pleading guilty to using campaign money for personal purposes.

Vincent Prieto studied at Middlesex County College (Construction Technology) and at Bergen Community College (Fire Technology).